The instant invention relates generally to a method for manufacturing a pet model commonly known as a stand alone pet mannequin, for use in the training of technicians known as trimmers, in the art of trimming the hair coats of pets, such as dogs, and provides teaching, training and practice in the trimming art and technique for grooming pet animals such as dogs, for example.
An important process in the art and practice of grooming animals, such as a dog, for example, conventionally is performed by xe2x80x9cexpertsxe2x80x9d known as xe2x80x9ctrimmersxe2x80x9d, skilled in the art of arranging, cutting and shaping the xe2x80x9chairs or outer xe2x80x9cfurxe2x80x9d of the animal""s exterior coats particularly for display at varied and often prestigious pet shows at which dogs are shown in contested performances. The professional xe2x80x9ctrimmerxe2x80x9d undergoes extensive training in the trimming art involving much practice upon models manufactured for the purpose of affording the opportunity to learn and practice the art of trimming or shaping the xe2x80x9chair coatxe2x80x9d of pet animals. Accordingly, a substantial course of study is required for the training of individuals in the art of grooming pet animals, particularly the various dog species popularly featured in special competitive shows or displays. The use of living animals is prohibitive in cost and in the number required to supply each of the plurality of students. Therefore, a plurality of models must be supplied both for demonstration and to afford each student with at least one upon which to learn the techniques and practice following the grooming steps involved. Suitable models must be manufactured at a reasonable cost to supply the needs of each of the students. Techniques can be illustrated pictorially in step by step charts and drawings, but considerable xe2x80x9chands onxe2x80x9d practice is required for each student to acquire proficiency in the trimming and grooming art. Adequate pet models are necessary but not available.
Conventional pet models, commonly referred to as xe2x80x9canimal mannequinsxe2x80x9d were manufactured by forming a pseudo-animal body which can be provided with a xe2x80x9ccoatxe2x80x9d of hair by implanting xe2x80x9cpseudo-animal hairxe2x80x9d into a solid rigid replica of an animal""s body formed of wood or synthetic resin, respectively absent actual body hair. This process involved the application of excessive force to drive the generally rigid hair-like pseudo-hair into the solid pseudo-replica body until the pseudo-replica body was covered with a mass of such generally rigid forcibly implanted pseudo-hair over a substantial portion of the pseudo-replica animal""s body. The result was an unrealistic model which was difficult to trim to the desired shape and offered a highly unrealistic result.
Another conventional pet model provided for the purpose of educating a trainee in the art of such pet grooming techniques was manufactured by forming a replica model of hard plastic or wooden material and applying pseudo-animal hair thereon by pasting same directly onto a flexible sheet material and forming the resulting coated sheet into a wearable xe2x80x9ccoatxe2x80x9d which would be draped over the replica animal model, fitted to said model replica animal""s body and applied thereto. The resulting fitted xe2x80x9cwearable hair coatxe2x80x9d would be relative flat or thin, hardly a massive body of pseudo-hair which can afford the exercise of trimming (or reducing) the volume of pseudo-hair to be operated upon by the trimmer in training to reduce such volume so as to simulate the natural, precisely shaped, xe2x80x9chair coatxe2x80x9d simulative of the natural xe2x80x9chair coatxe2x80x9d covering of an actual living animal. The purpose of the pseudo hair was to enable a xe2x80x9cshearingxe2x80x9d process to be conducted, shearing being the necessary trimming process to be carried out.
The model that is required for the training of specialists as professional animal groomers known as trimmers, who are skilled in the art of shaping the xe2x80x9cbody hairxe2x80x9d of animal pets, must be formed as a hard body of rigid material such as plastic or wood, carrying a mass of flocked simulative body hair consisting of a large quantity fine, soft xe2x80x9csilk-likexe2x80x9d individual threads permanently adhered thereto, the flocked simulative body hair must be capable not only of being sheared but also must be capable of being brushed, combed, precisely cut and capable of manual directional manipulations involved in the trimming procedure. The conventional implanted hair has not been capable of being combed and brushed to effect the desired softness should result from the steps of brushing, combing, cutting and performing the manual directional manipulations involved in the trimming procedure.
The invention provides a method of manufacturing a pet model, conventionally described as a pet mannequin, for teaching and practicing the art of trimming the hairy coat of the pet animal, particularly a dog. The method comprises the steps separately molding a polyvinylchloride soft hollow dog body often referred to as a xe2x80x9crubber dogxe2x80x9d and a soft molded head having means for mounting a pair of separately molded soft molded ears thereto; filling the xe2x80x9crubber dogxe2x80x9d and head with chaff, such as seed coverings and other debris separated from threshing grain, such as the seed covers of rice, barley, buckwheat, and even whole rice; manually implanting plural selected lengths of wool yarn closely spaced into the soft wall of the chaff filled xe2x80x9crubber dogxe2x80x9d and head using a hooked crochet needle; emptying the chaff from the interior of the xe2x80x9crubber dogxe2x80x9d and head, leaving the implanted wool yarn lengths therein; injecting a charge of a pre-mixed self-expansible adhesive resin solution into the xe2x80x9crubber dogxe2x80x9d and head; permitting the self-expansion of the injected adhesive resin solution to effect the permanent adherence of the wool yarn interior of the xe2x80x9crubber dogxe2x80x9d and head; coupling the xe2x80x9crubber dogxe2x80x9d and head and permitting same to self-harden with the implanted wool lengths secured interior thereof, and thereafter separating by tearing the exterior wool lengths into thin, soft single lengths thereby to complete the dog mannequin. The term xe2x80x9cflockingxe2x80x9d is often employed by skilled artisans in the field of pet grooming to describe the process of implanting animal hair into the body of pet models, also referred to as pet mannequins.